Crostini with Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Fig Jam
April 20, 2010
This may well be our favorite appetizer. I think a close second are these parmesan crisps, but these crostini are just amazing. The combination of the prosciutto with the luscious fig jam is so good and then the creamy goat cheese - well, you just have to make these. And (shhhh...) they are so easy!
All you need for these little wonders are a good fresh baguette, a jar of fig jam, some salty prosciutto, plain goat cheese and some fresh basil. The fig jam is an item which is now found in any grocery store. You just have to know where to look for it. Some stores carry it with the jams and some carry it with the international foods. I know Whole Foods has this brand of jam and they always have some tucked in with all the cheeses. This stuff is incredible - if you've never had it, you'll want to eat it with a spoon. Or put it on toast. Or make a sandwich with it. Or put it on scrambled eggs. Okay, you get it. For the prosciutto, make sure you buy a good quality prosciutto - because there are so few ingredients, this appetizer is only good as the quality of your ingredients.
For my baguette, I actually made my own using this method. I'm so lucky. It's a snap to bake up your own in under an hour and I didn't have to run to the bakery to get a fresh one. I used a baguette mold, which helps the bread retain its shape and not spread out too much. If you try this, just line it with a folded over clean towel and flour it generously. When the bread is done resting for about 30 minutes, just roll it off the towel and back onto the baguette mold and bake.
Crostini with Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Fig Jam
for a printable recipe, click here
makes six crostini
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh baguette
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- sea salt or kosher salt
- 4 ounces goat cheese, plain, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons fig jam
- 3 slices prosciutto, each cut in half
- 6 fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
Slice six 1/2-inch slices of bread from the baguette. I slice mine slightly on the diagonal. Place on a baking sheet and brush generously with the olive oil. Sprinkle a little salt on each slice. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and slightly golden. Watch that they do not burn. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
Spread some goat cheese on each crostini. Spread about a tablespoon of fig jam on top of the goat cheese. Fold the half slices of prosciutto and place on top of each crostini. Lay a fresh basil leaf on each and serve.
This recipe also would be great with fresh figs, but we can't get decent fresh figs where we live. It's always a disappointment. So this year, I'm actually going to try to grown my own (yes, in Michigan!) figs. I was inspired by this article by William Grimes. If he could grow such a productive fig tree in New York, maybe I could eek out a few figs here. Who knows? I've got three Chicago Hardy figs which I will plant soon. I'll keep you posted!
Reader Comments (50)
Those crostinis look fantastic. Love the combination of flavors. I'm bookmarking this. :)
recipe sounds fantastic! however, in general, i'm not a goat cheese fan. is there another type of cheese i could substitute that would be equally delicious???
That looks positively delicioso!
Ask Garcia
Fantastic Elaine! I have posted this to my FaceBook,. You will likely have more followers like me! :)
Thank you for this. I'm looking for little easy passed appetizers for my husband's grand opening. He sells Macs (apple dealer) and all things related to music professionals and computers. He opened yesterday, but soon we'll do a grand opening. I can start getting ingredients (like the jam) right now.
We usually get the prosciutto at Whole Foods and believe it or not we have a local farmer who makes it.
My family used to have fig trees in Kenosha Wis. You can do it! There are varieties that will take more cold than others. I used to have my fig trees in pots (there are varieties that are great for this) so you could move them indoors (if you have space or a garage) in the winter time when they are dormant. I would love to know how your trees are doing. Best of luck.
Your crostini looks so flavorful-not to mention beautiful!!!!
I bet the fig jam is fantastic-great appetizer or snack!
From The Italian Dish:
Jackie: I don't know of a substitute for goat cheese that would give you that creamy, tangy taste. But if you like ricotta cheese or mascarpone, maybe you could try one of those. There are a lot of spreadable cheeses in the grocery store - maybe you could find one you like and try that.
Angela: I love that your going to serve this at a Mac event!
Debbie: I have three little fig trees. I do plan to plant a couple in pots, where I can move them inside during the winter. One I am going to try to plant outside. I will post their progress!
These look wonderful! Your pictures are lovely. Fig jam is one of my favorite things and it does pair beautifully with salty-sweet prosciutto. Buonissimo!
I make my own fig jam so these crostini are just perfect! I definitely will be making these. Your photos are beautiful.
This summer i'm going to make fig jam just so that I can make these. Might need a goat too :)
I love that jam from Whole Foods, and yes I could eat it with a spoon! A platter of these would make me very happy. Your photo's are exquisite!
Gosh that looks good!
Definitely think the combination of simple flavors here is to die for!
Tried this...it was great. Made the Artisan Bread again and assembled the crostini, the flavors and we savored the mix of ingredients. The basil was a great addition to this.
Thanks for this recipe! I made it last Saturday for a dinner party and we all loved it!
Wow! This looks so great! A must try! xxMK
I have prepared these crostinis today and were delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
nl-bcn.blogspot.com
I can't wait to try them, could you have anything on stuffed squash flowers? I am going to visit my daughter in August and want to make them and try them at home first.
I would really appreciate it. This cooking infor you have on the internet is the best I don't think anyone could pass you you are wonderful I pull you up everyday
Carmella
my father in law grew fig trees in western ny (buffalo) for many years. the height of the trees reached no more than three feet from the ground and were allowed to grow almost horizontally so that he could literally and easily bury them during the winter months with burlap/ leaves and compost. he had great success with this method and the figs picked right off the tree were amazingly good.
good luck on your fig trees and happy harvest
Giacomo
I just adored this post of yours. On my video log - MARC'S CULINARY COMPASS, I just posted and episode that focuses on sumptuous, sexy FIGS. You all might enjoy it and thanks for your post.
Here is the link - http://sc.blogs.com/marcs_culinary_compass/2010/09/episode-42.html
I made these for a recent girls night, and they were delicious. We are fortunate to have not just one, but three Wegman's around us, and they have a delicious Fig & Balsamic compote that I used. Delicious!!
This appetizer was delicious! A perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and salty flavors!
These sound fantastic! I will definitely be making these! I am a new follower!
Wonderful, just wonderful. Very simple, easy to make and a perfect combo of tastes.
I cant find fig jam....can i use apricot jam instead?
These are wonderful! So simple, yet so delicious. The blend of sweet, salty, tangy, etc is amazing. Thank you so much; this is a keeper!
I made these for Christmas dinner, and they were fantastic. A real keeper. Thank you!
Fabulous appetizer! I think it will also be our favorite. I was intrigued by the bread recipe so I made it, too. So easy and good it should be against the law! Thanks for such a great post! I love your site and ALL your recipes.
Figs are one of my favorite things! i planted a fig tree 3 years ago here in Seattle-slow start but its hanging in there. I was visiting my cousin near Naples a year ago and she has 3 huge fig trees. We made fig jam and i snuck 3 jars home in my suitcase! Found your blog just in time for a month stay in Orvieto. Leaving in 5 days. Planning on doing lots of cooking and I am sure I will be visiting your site often! Grazie! Ps. Cut a fig in half, add a chunk of Gorgonzola to the middle and wrap with proscuitto-party in your mouth!
served these as our Easter appetizer today. Delish:)
These were spectacular and the hit of the party. Thank you!
This looks incredibly good. Another fun use for fig preserves: heat them slightly and spoon over vanilla ice cream.
I have been looking for fig/goat cheese hors d'oeuvers and these sound delicious. Making them for my birthday party. Thank you for the contribution!
I've made a version of this with brie (sometimes black truffle brie) and thinly sliced dry Italian sausage. It was amazing.
I couldn't find fig jam so I used apricot preserves - delish!
Great flavor combo on these crostini's. I saw this dish at my friend's house and wanted to make it myself. So I found your recipe while browsing. Made it with leftover loaf that was few days old and still came out of the oven crispy. Also made it with fresh baguette and took it to New Year's party and it satisfied various taste palates. I used also Italian, Slovenian and US domestic prosciutto. Difference is big, but when it comes to flavor combination and overall dish, it works either way. Will be another one of your recipes that is now my go to. Thank you!!!
I added a drizzle of balsamic reduction and arugula, sooooooo good!!
wow! amazing
Made these for my sister's 4th of July party and literally everyone loved them! I had at least 3 people come up to ask me for the recipe. I used Boar's Head prosciutto (from the deli), baguette from Publix's bakery, Publix goat cheese and Rutherford & Meyer fig paste. It was so easy to make and tasted oh so yummy. Will definitely be making these again!!
I am excited to make these today for a holiday get together. How far ahead of time can I make these little gems?
From The Italian Dish:
Lynne: I would not make them very much ahead of time if you can help it. You would have to refrigerate them and I don't think the little toasts would be very good after refrigeration - they will soften up a bit lose their crunchiness. If you don't mind that, I suppose you could do that but I would wait to assemble everything right before serving. Hope this helps!
They turned out to wonderful!!
You're are so right about making ahead of time - as the night moved on they did become less crunchy but were still good none the less.
Thank you for a great recipe
What an elegant appetizer! It couldn't be easier, but is delicious and makes a great impression. The crunch of the crostini, creaminess of the cheese, sweetness of the jam, and saltiness of the prosciutto are perfection. Thanks for a great recipe!
Tasty little bites! Love the combo of sweet, salty , creamy and crispy!
Could we toast the bread and assemble an hour before planning to serve? 2 hours? When you're hosting a oapar it's hard d todo things last minute as people are walking in. Just looking for any time saver advice but don't want the bread to not be right either.
From The Italian Dish:
LeeAnn: I would not assemble these too far ahead of time. The goat cheese needs to be refrigerated. If you make them a couple of hours ahead of time and refrigerate them, though, the bread will be soggy. They really need to be assembled right before people arrive and not be refrigerated. Sorry! The crostini will be crispy that way. Toast the crostini and then you can just keep them at room temp on the serving platter. The rest of the assembly is quite quick. Hope this helps.
I make this appetizer quite often, but add a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top, it adds just a bit of sweet tang. oh so good.
Just made these yesterday. Amazing! So quick to prepare. Elegant and yummy!